Filling stop motion for looms



Aug; 12, 1958 w. H. BELL FILLING STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS Fil d Feb. 6, 1957 INVENTOR MLUIYIVMBQL, BY 6 6 W 4-' ATTORNEY FlLLING STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS William H. Bell, Greenwood, S. 3.

Application February 6, 1957, Serial No. 638,564

2 Claims. ('Cl. 139-374) The present invention relates to looms and more particularly to improvements in the filling stop mechanism of a loom.

Modern day looms operate at high speed and the loom parts are subject to much vibration. Satisfactory operation of the so-called center fork stop mechanism of looms depends upon proper alignment of an arm or extension of the knock-ofi plunger with the bunter carried by the 100m lay. That is to say, when the center fork tines detect the absence of the filling in the shed on any given pick, and a linkage is set into motion for positioning the hunter so that it will engage the arm of the knockoif plunger to stop the loom, it is essential that this arm of the knock-01f plunger be precisely positioned for engagement by the hunter, otherwise the bunter may miss it and the loom will fail to stop. If the loom is not stopped on the first pick of a broken filling, there will be missed picks in the cloth which will not be discovered until the work reaches the cloth room.

In most present day looms, the operating connection between the knock-ofi lever and plunger is such that there is no substantial downward force upon the head of the knock-off plunger to hold it in firm engagement with the breast beam extension, and consequently when the loom vibrates during operation, the head of the knock- 011 plunger is frequently elevated slightly or tilted with respect to the breast beam and the contact arm of the knockofi plunger is misaligned with respect to the bunter so that the latter cannot properly engage it to stop the loom.

The connection between the knock-off lever and the knock-on? plunger, which is the essence of the present invention, eliminates this difliculty entirely and the head of the knock-01f plunger is constantly held firmly, yet slidably, upon the flat breast beam extension and prevented from being elevated from the breast beam or tilted, due to vibration, so that the arm of the knock-off plunger is always accurately aligned with the bunter when the bunter is in position to engage it. I

It is the primary object of this invention to provide means for assuring that the knock-off plunger arm will be held in the proper position during the operation of a high speed loom for proper engagement by the bunter to stop the loom instantly when required.

A further and more specific object is to provide an improved connection between the knock-01f lever and knock-off plunger of a loom filling stop mechanism, whereby vibration of the loom will not elevate or move the knock-off plunger arm from proper alignment with the hunter.

A further object is to provide a novel adjustable element or bushing carried by and reacting against the relatively rigid knock-off lever and holding the head of the knock-off plunger in contacting or sliding engagement with the flat breast beam extension beneath it.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved connection between the knock-off lever and knock-oil plunger for the above-stated purposes,

. atent ice which connection is readily adaptable to existing looms, with substantially no alteration of the same, and also adaptable to new looms, with highly improved results in both cases.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a loom stop motion or mechanism embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the improved connection between the knock-ofi lever and plunger of Figures 1 and 2.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference is made first to Figure 1, wherein the numeral 10 designates a fragmentary portion of the well-known bunter carried by the loom lay 11. The bunter 10 is movable by a conventional linkage, not shown, in response to the detecting by the center fork tines of the absence of the filling in the shed on any pick, so that the bunter which travels with the lay will be aligned with a knock-ofi plunger arm, to be described, and will engage the same to immediately stop the loom. The control or operation of the bunter 10 is conventional and well-known, and need not be described or shown in detail in the present application. United States Patent 1,865,930 to Lindsjo discloses a typical control or operating means for the hunter carried by the lay of the loom, and the identical bunter operating means may be suitably employed in connection with the bunter 10 of the present application.

In Figure 1, the numeral 12 designates the loom breast beam, which has an integral fiat horizontal extensionlit or table. The usual knock-off plunger 14 is mounted above the breast beam extension 13 and has a forward generally rectangular head 15 adapted to rest upon and contact the flat extension 13. The head 15 preferably has a flat bottom face to assure proper seating upon the breast beam extension 13. A fixed guide bracket 16 is preferably formed integral with the breast beam extension 13 and receives and supports knock-o-if plunger in a well-known manner for horizontal longitudinal movement in response to contact by the hunter 10. At its trailing end, the knock-oil plunger 14 has secured thereto a lateral extension or arm 17, preferably provided with a notch 18 to be engaged by the hunter 10 when the latter is positioned upon the lay so as to stop the loom.

The construction thus far described is all conventional and well-known and it should be unnecessary to go into further detail with respect to these elements.

A horizontally swingable knock-off lever 19 is arranged above the breast beam extension 13 and pivoted thereto intermediate its ends as shown at 29. The end of the knock-off lever 19 remote from the plunger 14 is connected with the well-known shipper 21, as shown. The end portion 22 of the knock-off lever 19 adjacent the knock-off plunger is preferably upwardly offset somewhat so as to extend over the top of the rectangular head 15' in superposed relation therewith. The head 15 is provided at its top with an integral upstanding connecting pin element 23, which in conventional looms such as that shown in Patent 1,865,930, merely engages rather loosely through an opening or slot formed in the adjacent end portion of the pivoted knock-oil lever. It is because of this conventional construction that loom vibration causes the knock-off plunger head 15 to elevate slightly or tilt upon the breast beam extension 13, with the resulting misalignment of the arm 17 with respect to the hunter 10.

In the present improved construction, the knock-elf lever portion 22 has a screw-threaded opening 24 formed therethrough'adj'acent the element 23, and 'an adjustable screw-threaded bushing or element 25 has screw-threaded engagement within.the,opening 24 and is bodilyrnounted upon the 'lever portion 22,'above the head.15.' Asshown in thedrawings, the bushing 25 is provided in. its lower end with a central cylindrical opening 26, adapted'to snugly pivotally receive the pin extension 23 of knockolf'plungerhead 15. The depth of the opening 26 is preferably substantially equal 'to the height of the pin extension23 above thetopjface of the head 15, Figure 2. The lowerend of the bushing-25.'is adapted, when the bushing is adjusted downwardly, to engage; the topface of "the head 15 at substantially the same. time thatthe topof thev pin extension 23 would engage the top wall of the opening 26. The screw-threaded. bushing 25 has a lock nut 27 mounted thereon above the lever portion 22, as shown, for the purpose of Isecurely locking the bushing 25 "with respect to the lever 19 after adjustment of the bushing, The desired pivotal connection between the knock-ofi'lever 19 and knock-ft plunger 14 is'afforcled by the engagement of the pin extension 23 within the opening 26 of the adjustable bushing 25.

When the bushing25 is turned or adjusted downwardly, by means of a screw driver or the like, its lower end may be brought in'to'light engagement with the top flat faceof the head '15, and the bushing 25 cannot move upwardly from.the head.l5 since it' will react. against the knock-off lever l9which is quite rigid and. firm upon its pivot. Consequently, the. bushing. 25 will serve to hold down the head 15, substantially. in contact with. the

flat breast beam extension 13 at all times. As .the loom.

vibrates duringrapid operation, the head 15 will not be elevated .from the extension 13 .or tilted relative thereto,

and the arm. 17 will' therefore vbe held inperfect align:

mentwith the bunter 10, when the latter is positioned to engage the knock-off plunger arm 17 for stopping the.

loom. In other words, the adjustable bushing 25.and associated elements is capable of exerting exactly the desired degree of downward pressure upon the-knock-otf plunger head 15 to hold the same firmly against the flat extension 13 of the breast beam, .while at the same: time permitting the head 15 to slide freely upon the extension 13' should the knock-off plunger 14 move in response to engagementof the bunter with the arm 17.

Except for the above improved operating connection between the knock-01f lever 19 and knock-oil plunger 14 and the resulting improved alignment of the arm 17 with the bunter 10, the general mode of operation and construction of the center fork stop motion. is conventional and well-known, and need not be described further in the present application.

Should the knock-off plunger 14 be moved forwardly by the bunter 10, the shipper 21 will be detached from 'its holding notch and the loom will be instantly stopped,

as is well-known. As stated above, the general construction and mode of operation is shown in Patent 1,865,930 to Lindsjo. The essence of the present invention resides in the improved connection between the knock-off lever 19 and plunger 14, together with the overcoming of loom vibration, which has previously adversely affected the loom stop mechanism. The invention greatly improves the effectiveness of the entire filling stop motion or mechanism.

In this connection, it is believed that the use of the means constituting the subject matter of this invention will result directly ina substantial saving of time, labor 4 and money in the mill, due to the obvious fact that the proper weaving of the cloth, free of defects, depends to a large degree upon an effective and fool-proof filling stop motion.

In connection with the present invention, it should be understood that the reciprocating knock-off plunger 14 has sufficient lateral play or clearance in the guide bracket 16 to permit normal operation of the knock-off lever 19 without any binding at the pivot pin 20'or pin element 23.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a. preferred example-of the same-and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, withoutdepartingifrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A loom stop mechanism comprising in combination a substantially flat breast beam'extension, a knockoff lever pivoted to the breast beam extension and swingable above the same, means actuated by said lever for stopping-the loom. when the lever is swung in one direction, a reciprocatory knock-off plunger mounted adjacent the top of the breast beam extension and adapted extension, the knock-oiflever having a screw-threaded opening formed therethrough adjacent said head, a screwthreaded element having screw-threaded engagement within said openingand beingadjustable toward and from said head of the knock-off plunger and having a recess in its lower end, a projection carried by the top of said 4 head and engaging within said recess for forming a pivotal connection between the knock-oil plunger and lever, said screw-threaded element adapted to exert a desired downward pressure upon said head to hold the same substantially in sliding contactwith the top of the breast beam extension, and means forholding said screw-threaded element in a selected adjusted position.

2. In a loom filling stop mechanism, a breast beamextension'havingan upper flat face, a reciprocatory knockotf plunger to be aligned with a lay carried bunter and mounted upon the breast beam extension, a. head carried by theknock-ofi plunger and having a.flat bottom face for substantial. sliding contact with' the fiat upper face of the breastbeami extension, an upstanding pivot element'carried by said head, a knock-off lever pivotally mounted'upon the breast beam. extension and swingable above said-extension and having. an end portion overlying said head, said end portion of the knock-off lever having a screw-threaded opening formed therethrough larger than the pivot element of the head, a bushing having screw-threaded engagement within the screw-threaded opening of the knock-off'lever and having an opening in its lower end pivotally receiving the pivot element, said bushagainst the upward'thrust of said head during the op-- eration of said mechanism, and a lock nut having screwthreaded engagement with said bushing at the upper side of'the knock-off lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS -l,865,930 Lindsjo July 5, 1932 

